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Archive 2022 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

albertdros
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Hi all,

As I already have the Sony A7RV for a few months, I have received many questions about the focus stacking function, so I decided to do a video on it. I often do focus stacking in the field with my landscape photos. The automatic focus bracketing function makes it possible to get even more creative shots. Now I can do also automatic macro stacking, and get more complicated shots as I don't miss focus points anymore

You can find the video here:

https://youtu.be/HsRk4Qq8Csg

Also if you're wondering how I open the RAW files of the A7RV:
I use a tool called 'exiftool' to batch rename the exif of the files to that of the A7RIV. That way I trick LR into thinking the files are that of the A7RIV and it opens them. This works because they're basically using the same sensor.

As always: if you have any questions, feel free to drop them here or in the comments on Youtube.

Nov 24, 2022 at 02:34 AM

twodees
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Thanks Albert, I will give that a watch.

Appreciate I'm going off topic but...

RE: Subject recognition. This may be something to feed back to Sony but if I switch subject recogntition off and turn the camera off when I turn the camera back on subject recogntition is back on. It would help if it remembered the last state.

RE: Touch screen (panel). Focus and shoot works fine. Focus tracking focuses fine. Focus only will not do a thing (tested on 100-400GM, 24-105 G).

Edited on Nov 24, 2022 at 05:34 AM · View previous versions

Nov 24, 2022 at 03:26 AM

mcbroomf
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Nice video Albert. Good to see the R5 in action.

Perhaps worth mentioning that you can create an Action in Photoshop to do everything, so once the files are all opened in layers just one button and you can go get a beverage etc while PS churns. Worth it for especially large number of files and also to reduce clicks.

Nov 24, 2022 at 04:59 AM

albertdros
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

mcbroomf wrote:
Nice video Albert. Good to see the R5 in action.

Perhaps worth mentioning that you can create an Action in Photoshop to do everything, so once the files are all opened in layers just one button and you can go get a beverage etc while PS churns. Worth it for especially large number of files and also to reduce clicks.

Thats a good idea actually. didn't even think of that!

Nov 24, 2022 at 08:48 AM

offtraildog
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

mcbroomf wrote:
Nice video Albert. Good to see the R5 in action.

Perhaps worth mentioning that you can create an Action in Photoshop to do everything, so once the files are all opened in layers just one button and you can go get a beverage etc while PS churns. Worth it for especially large number of files and also to reduce clicks.

Could you explain how to create this specific action? Thanks

Nov 24, 2022 at 10:16 AM

mcbroomf
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

offtraildog wrote:
Could you explain how to create this specific action? Thanks

1) Start recording the action
2) Select -> All Layers
3) Edit -> Auto Align Layers (check window is set to same as Albert's video)
Then, when finished the alignment
4) Edit -> Auto Blend Layers (check window is set to same as Albert's video)
Then, when finished the blend
5) Stop recording the action

Note : Make sure when recording your Action that you use the menu for Select -> All Layers and NOT manually selecting them on the Layer tab (by CMD/ALT or SHFT). If you use the layer tab it records the actual file number of the layer in the action and will not work for a different set of files.

Nov 24, 2022 at 10:39 AM

molson
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

mcbroomf wrote:
1) Start recording the action
2) Select -> All Layers
3) Edit -> Auto Align Layers (check window is set to same as Albert's video)
Then, when finished the alignment
4) Edit -> Auto Blend Layers (check window is set to same as Albert's video)
Then, when finished the blend
5) Stop recording the action

Note : Make sure when recording your Action that you use the menu for Select -> All Layers and NOT manually selecting them on the Layer tab (by CMD/ALT or SHFT). If you use the layer tab it records the actual file number of the layer in the action and will not...Show more →

Thanks for posting this.

Nov 24, 2022 at 10:51 AM

offtraildog
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

@albertdros

Hi Albert ..

As a hobbiest photographer learning from others, I am curious about your f-stop selection when focus stacking

You mention shooting f11 to f14 when focus stacking or using up-to F16 if your initial focus point is a couple meters away (and not focus stack).

from what I have read about diffraction, it seems to have a greater effect on image sharpness f11+

Wondering if lens diffraction is a real-world issue when shooting in the field for a pro such as yourself and if so, why not use a slighter wider aperture (and deal with a few more images/layers to stack).

Or with the newer high resolution cameras and myriad of very good to great lenses, lens diffraction is of less importance unless you are pixel peeping specific to find IQ issues?

Thanks

Nov 24, 2022 at 10:51 AM

albertdros
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

offtraildog wrote:
@albertdros@

Hi Albert ..

As a hobbiest photographer learning from others, I am curious about your f-stop selection when focus stacking

You mention shooting f11 to f14 when focus stacking or using up-to F16 if your initial focus point is a couple meters away (and not focus stack).

from what I have read about diffraction, it seems to have a greater effect on image sharpness f11+

Wondering if lens diffraction is a real-world issue when shooting in the field for a pro such as yourself and if so, why not use a slighter wider aperture (and deal with a few more images/layers...Show more →

I usually don't go past f/14. on the lenses I use f/14 is still great quality. Yes you can indeed shoot at maybe f/8 and do a couple of more shots. But really, we have to pixel peep a lot to see a big difference here. Depends on the lens though, but most of the times the difference isn't that big. I prefer to have a big focus plane when doing focus stacking.

Nov 24, 2022 at 11:56 AM

k-h.a.w
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Thanks Albert.
Can one do automated focus stacking with the Sony ILCE-1?
I am curious as the A1 has the bracketing setting option to go from near to far.
TIA.

K-H.

Nov 25, 2022 at 12:39 AM

gchappel
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

k-h.a.w wrote:
Thanks Albert.
Can one do automated focus stacking with the Sony ILCE-1?
I am curious as the A1 has the bracketing setting option to go from near to far.
TIA.

No, you cannot do automated focus bracketing with the A1.
You can do it manually with the sony remote- I have done that a lot and it works fine, but is slow and cumbersome.

The bracketing option on the a1 is for exposure bracketing, not focus bracketing.
gary

Nov 25, 2022 at 10:18 PM

gchappel
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Thanks for this video!!
Lots and lots of misinformation on the internet, and even in this forum.
This clears a lot of it up!!
I have the a7rv on order- upgrading primarily because of focus bracketing.
gary

Nov 25, 2022 at 10:20 PM

k-h.a.w
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

gchappel wrote:
Thank you gchappel for the info. Too bad.
In that case I will continue to use my GFX 50S and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark 3 for focus stacking/bracketing.

Thanks again, K-H.

Nov 25, 2022 at 11:31 PM

gchappel
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

gchappel wrote:
There is a program that allows the A1 to automate focus bracketing- but your camera needs to be tethered to a computer.
I found the program on this forum. Free, and it works fine.
What I should have said is the A1, and other sony bodies, cannot internally automate focus bracketing.
I used focus bracketing a fair amount in the field with my nikon gear. Way too cumbersome for me anyway to carry around my laptop or to manually go through the steps out in the field.
Focus bracketing is one of the main reasons I preordered the a7rv .
gary

Nov 26, 2022 at 07:05 AM

kimknapp
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

k-h.a.w
Thank you gchappel for the info. Too bad.
In that case I will continue to use my GFX 50S and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark 3 for focus stacking/bracketing.

Thanks again, K-H.

This is my BIG complaint about Sony. A firmware update would easily add this feature to their top, pro, camera body, but instead you will have to buy a new body when (if) they eventually add it to a II version of the A1! Or, you have to buy a second body just for this feature.
I'm sure most photographers would pay a reasonable amount for a firmware upgrade, if they need to charge for it.
Meanwhile, many, like yourself, are being pushed to other brands.

Nov 26, 2022 at 07:32 AM

LeoNguyen
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Hi Albert. Do you have any tip for marking the beginning and the end of a focus stack? After a trip of thousand of pictures, sometimes I’m struggling with locating the sequence. Thanks

Nov 26, 2022 at 10:38 AM

RoamingScott
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Take a photo with your hand in front of the lens right before and right after, I do this for panos as well.

LeoNguyen wrote:
Hi Albert. Do you have any tip for marking the beginning and the end of a focus stack? After a trip of thousand of pictures, sometimes I’m struggling with locating the sequence. Thanks

Nov 26, 2022 at 11:06 AM

tsdevine
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Ha! Me too!

RoamingScott wrote:
Take a photo with your hand in front of the lens right before and right after, I do this for panos as well.

Nov 26, 2022 at 11:10 AM

dclark
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

LeoNguyen wrote:
Hi Albert. Do you have any tip for marking the beginning and the end of a focus stack? After a trip of thousand of pictures, sometimes I’m struggling with locating the sequence. Thanks

I think that is why they offer the option to put the focus stack in a separate folder.

Regardless the time metadata can also be used to put focus stack sequence in a stack. Using camera focus stacking the shots are close together in time with a longer time gap between different focus stack sequences. Use auto stack in LR. If you are manually focus stacking this may not work.

Nov 26, 2022 at 11:12 AM

RoamingScott
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Detailed video on Focus Stacking with the A7RV

Way too much work vs the hand method

Hand method also provides an extremely delineated at-a-glance-view in the LR photo strip.

dclark wrote:
I think that is why they offer the option to put the focus stack in a separate folder.

Regardless the time metadata can also be used to put focus stack sequence in a stack. Using camera focus stacking the shots are close together in time with a longer time gap between different focus stack sequences. Use auto stack in LR. If you are manually focus stacking this may not work.

Nov 26, 2022 at 11:18 AM

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